What Congregations can do:

 Be Informed

 Take Action

Participate in HomeFront’s Week of Hope! Run or walk in our 5K Run for Hope. Build a team! Register at: www.active.com. Come to our Picnic in the Park, Mercer County Park, East Picnic Area, West Windsor. Bring the family!

 And....

1. Encourage your congregation to pray faithfully on the issue of ending homelessness, and move one step forward towards a permanent solution. “In God’s realm, work brings life’s necessities in ample supply, and our children and elders dwell in health and security.” Isaiah 65: 17-25
2. Ask for a special offering for the homeless.
3. Encourage your congregation to get involved:

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Ask your leader(s) to preach on the issue of homelessness. Offer a special seminar on homelessness by inviting HomeFront speakers. Hold a “Mission Fair” Sabbath and allow guest speakers to address homeless issues before or after services. (Contact Alicia for information) Create a special “minute for mission” during the service, when a member can briefly speak (one minute) about HomeFront’s critical needs to other members.

4. Find members who could donate their professional services, such as dental (many are in incredible pain), car repair, legal work. Be creative for offering services and time that can help families.
5. Share new or gently used clothing, linen, and household items/furniture with HomeFront, dropping it off at their 1880 Princeton Ave. location in Lawrenceville, or arranging a pick-up of furniture (for Mercer County residents only).
6. Encourage your congregation to dedicate times throughout the year to collect food for HomeFront’s food pantry.
7. Host a “rent” party, to raise awareness of homelessness and to help a family move into their own home. (Ask for more details from Alicia Portalatin, volunteer coordinator at HomeFront).
8. Sponsor and dedicate a room for a year at HomeFront’s Family Preservation Center or Huchet House (home for first-time mothers) by raising $1000.

1. Inspire other churches to do the same as your church or vice versa.
2. Build partnerships with other groups to carry out your homeless mission more effectively.
3. Identify landlords in your congregation and others' and urge them to rent units to HomeFront families in partnership.

1. Encourage your congregation to endorse and support your local 10-year Plan to End Homelessness. (www.merceralliance.org)
2. Join local and/or national public policy advocacy.
3. Develop a food collection program that helps sustain HomeFront’s food pantry throughout the year.
4. Host a party for HomeFront kids or families.
5. Make a house-warming package for HomeFront families.
6. Cook meals for HomeFront kids and families, or cook a community dinner to raise money for HomeFront families.
7. Organize a book collection for HomeFront’s Family Preservation Center library

These drives can be done with the general categories or more specific ones. For example, you could run a food drive or just a pasta drive.

• Helping us make jewelry or anything we can sell at the craft fair! ( We were thinking that we could set up a table at the craft fair and sell things to benefit HomeFront)
• Work on our Food Pantry stocking shelves and putting bags together
• Work in our Free Store sorting through clothes and household items to be organized
• Make Bagged dinners for our Joys, Hope, and Dreams program on Friday nights
• Painting
• Put together personal care bags
• Host an event where we can bring our HomeFront kids

For more information, visit the Resources page.